Although Edmonton, the capital of Alberta, may not necessarily be at the top of your list of places to live, it is perhaps time to reconsider. Edmonton is becoming a fantastic city with lots of things to see and do. So, is Edmonton a beautiful place to live? Here are some of the reasons why the answer is yes.

1) Worldwide Credibility

While this city was once overlooked as a tourist destination, it is now recognised on a global scale as a great place to visit. It was even listed as one of the ‘Best Summer Trips for 2015’ by the National Geographic. The restaurants, neighbourhoods and festivals were all praised by the publication.

2) One of the Greenest Cities

Even though the landscape is predominantly urban, there are some stunning green spaces in this city. One of the best is Saskatchewan River valley parks system. At 7,300 hectares, it is the largest expanse of urban parkland in Canada. This means it is a fantastic place to live if you want to combine the hustle and bustle of city life with quieter moments in the more peaceful spots in Edmonton.

3) Long Summer Days

Due to its northern location, Edmonton has some of the longest summer days in Canada. On the longest day of the year, there were 17 hours of sunlight.

4) Fantastic Festivals

Festivals are an important part of the Edmonton lifestyle, especially in the summer. Some of the most exciting include the Shakespeare Festival, Pride Festival, Symphony Under the Stars, K-Days, the Folk Festival and the Fringe Festival.

5) FIFA Connections

Edmonton is now famous for hosting the opening tournament of the FIFA Women’s World Cup in 2015. In June of this year, enthusiastic audiences watched the Canadian team take on China and win. The tournament attracted a record number of fans watching a Canadian national team with a massive 53,058 spectators. The record was broken just weeks later at the Canada versus Switzerland game in Toronto.

6) A Creative City

This is an excellent city for creative people. There is a grassroots organisation called ‘Make Something Edmonton’ that brings creative people together to share their artistic projects. These are anything from mobile apps to community gardens.

7) Slip ‘N’ Slide

There are plans to add an enormous slip ‘n’ slide to a hill in the middle of the city. This will measure 1,000 feet in height and will add an extra element of fun to a day out in Edmonton for all the family.

8) Buffalo

Buffalo are the largest land animals in Canada. Just 30 kilometres east of Edmonton lies Elk Island National Park, and it is there you can watch bison roaming freely in the wild.

9) Northern Pride

Toronto is famous for its ‘We the North’ slogan. However, those living in Edmonton truly are the north. The 49th parallel is the limit for most of the major cities in Canada, but in Edmonton, people hang out as far up as the 53rd. The downside to this is the longer winters, but it gives the people of Edmonton something to brag about.

10) The City of Giants

One of the stand out features of Edmonton is that it is surrounded by giant replicas of various thins. People love to pull up alongside these and take photographs standing beside the giant. Some examples include giant versions of the Stanley Cup, a milk bottle, a baseball bat, shoes and stocking, a cowboy boot and a badminton racket. The theme continues beyond the city limits with giant replicas of a mallard, a sausage and an Easter egg.